IYRS Gala on July 10 to honor past, present, and future of the school

by Cynthia Goss on 1 Jul 2010 IYRS 13th Annual Summer Gala sponsored by US Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management and Lexus, will have guests step into the past, present, and future—all in one evening. This year’s Gala, which will be held on Saturday, July 10, gives a nod to all eras: a 1940s, Casablanca-style cocktail hour opens the evening, followed by an elegant dinner that is very much of the present and a futuristic late-night dance party. But the theme of this festive evening is about more than décor. The all-encompassing timeframe matches where IYRS is as a school. This year, IYRS expanded its educational offerings with a program in composites technology, using materials and manufacturing methods that are very much a wave of the future.

'There are few schools in America that meld so perfectly the technologies of different eras—from our restoration program where students learn their trade while working on boats from the great designers of the 19th and 20th centuries, to the cutting-edge technology in our Marine Systems and Composites Technology programs,' said IYRS President Terry Nathan. 'The gala will be a fitting reminder to all our friends of how IYRS has grown and used an effective education model, irrespective of program focus.'

Three generations of the same sailing family are this year’s event co-chairs. Nancy Hazlehurst Deutsch, her father Tom Hazlehurst, and her son Alex Hazlehurst Hood are all lifetime sailors, having raced the boats of their eras and volunteered for the sport. Together they are steering an evening that celebrates 'Old School, New School, Our School' and have brought a multi-generational approach to the Gala.

'As a living symbol of this generational aspect of the school’s activities, I conscripted my dad, who got started in Beetle Cats, and my son, who got his feet wet in Optis, to join me in chairing this gala event. We are three generations who have been blessed by ‘messing about in boats’,' said Nancy Hazlehurst Deutsch.

A highlight of the evening will again be the live and silent auctions, which will feature an impressive lineup of items and travel opportunities that appeal to avid sailors and fans of classic and modern boats. Among the items in the live auction are: a weeklong stay for three couples at the luxurious, secluded private Azzura Castle in Grenada, West Indies; a gourmet dinner and daysail on the magnificent Cangarda, the 126-foot 1901 steam yacht recently restored by Dr Robert McNeil, who is currently restoring Coronet at IYRS; a stay on the private island of Cayo Espanto, located off the coast of Belize and near the second-longest barrier reef in the world; and a seat at the table at the invitation-only Esquire Magazine 2010 Best New Restaurants Chef’s Dinner.

The IYRS Gala is the crowning event of an entire weekend of social and sailing activity. Festivities kick off with an opening reception on Friday evening, July 9 at Brown & Howard Wharf sponsored by Peter de Savary. On Saturday, Morris Yachts will take gala-goers out on the water in their spirit-of-tradition and modern sailing yachts.

This year’s Gala has attracted a strong lineup of sponsors. Commodore Sponsors joining Title Sponsors US Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management and Lexus are: AT&T, Condé Nast Publications, Dayton Carr / VCFA Group, Esquire magazine, Infonte Construction, James Bishop Sr., Karen & Gerald Migliaccio, Land Rover, Mark Watson, Morris Yachts, Perini Navi, Prestige Lexus, Prestige Land Rover, and William Vareika / Vareika Fine Arts.

Two levels of tickets to the Annual Summer Gala will be available: 6 pm – midnight, for a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing, for $300; or 9 pm – midnight for cocktails, dessert, silent auction, and dancing, for $100.

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